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 Post subject: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 2:39 pm 

Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 10:30 pm
Posts: 984
Location: Bucks County, PA
What places in the country offer speeder excursions, especially those on a regular or even semi-regular basis? I know certain places will bring in speeders/motorcars for special events - i.e. Steamtown NHS for their Railfest weekends - I imagine other places do as well for certain dates/events. Going onto the NARCOA Excursion listing online isn't very helpful - 95% of those events are private events for the owners of their motorcars and any guests they may individually choose to bring. I know at the bottom there are six listings for places that host "regular" speeder excursions - but there has to be more than that, right?

One example that I know personally is the Stewartstown Railroad, south of York, PA, offers monthly speeder rides along the entire length of their line: https://youtu.be/-V61LheTUUk

What other places (that aren't listed there) offer regular or semi-regular speeder or motorcar rides?

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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 2:57 pm 
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The Monticello Railway Museum offers museum-owned speeder rides to the public during their annual Railroad Days event in September. I remember a few years ago I was on board one of the trains and we were following the speeders out of the station. One derailed in front of us and slid down into a ditch next to the tracks. I turned to my mom and said, "I take it we aren't riding the speeders later!"

Thomas

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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 3:21 pm 

Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2015 7:28 pm
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Location: Northern WV
The Ma & Pa Railroad (not that far from Stewartstown) offers regular speeder service 4 times a day on Sundays (June through Labor Day).

http://www.maandparailroad.com/

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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:03 pm 

Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm
Posts: 1228
Timber Heritage Assn. Samoa, CA

http://timberheritage.org/ride-the-rail ... eder-crew/


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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:24 pm 
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Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2018 7:08 pm
Posts: 317
Location: Alberta, Canada
While we only have a 0.5 mile demonstration track, the Alberta Railway Museum in Edmonton runs speeders whenever we are open and a train is not running. The speeder operator also functions as a tour guide.

I suspect many smaller museums without much track feature similar operations.

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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 6:01 pm 

Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2015 7:28 pm
Posts: 545
Location: Northern WV
A portion of the Buffalo Creek & Gauley has been restored and offers both speeder rides as well as railbikes.

https://www.facebook.com/OverEasyShow/v ... 2Njg0MDAz/

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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 7:06 pm 

Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm
Posts: 1228
Roots of Motive Power at Willits, CA gives speeder rides at their steamups.


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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 7:38 pm 
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Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:05 pm
Posts: 1053
Location: MA
There is this operation that uses speeders as locomotives and homemade cars for passengers.


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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 9:53 pm 

Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm
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Here are some more.

https://www.ncry.org/ride/speeder-rides/
https://octrr.org/speeder_rides


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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 3:03 am 

Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 1:28 am
Posts: 640
Location: Ipswich, UK
RCD wrote:
There is this operation that uses speeders as locomotives and homemade cars for passengers.


If you mean the Silver Lake RR in New Hampshire, they appear to have last operated in 2017...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Lake_Railroad

Found it by chance whilst driving up to the Conway Scenic in 2013, but they weren't operating that day - They certainly have some "interesting" rolling stock!

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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 5:51 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 am
Posts: 1010
My understanding is that a speeder pulls Tweetsie's Cheese Mine train.


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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 11:06 pm 

Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:43 am
Posts: 747
Cheese mine train?!
(googles)
oh MY sweet baby mallet

Take THIS you stuck up railroad preservationists.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAZzZKCJ5J0

I'm pretty sure this is the perfect polar opposite of the video in this thread:
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42973


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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 11:51 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 am
Posts: 1010
Pegasuspinto wrote:
Cheese mine train?!
(googles)
oh MY sweet baby mallet
It's great fun to ride with a 4-year old, especially if you watch his/her eyes as he/she takes it all in....though it does lose a bit of its charm once you ride it 90+ times over a single summer.


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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2019 7:21 pm 

Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 5:32 pm
Posts: 41
Location: Greendale, WI
The East Troy Railroad, near Milwaukee, WI, offers speeder rides during our Railfan Day each year. In 2019 that will be June 22nd. We run down our industrial spur about a half mile and back to the depot. www.easttroyrr.org


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 Post subject: Re: Speeder Operations for the Public?
PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 12:57 am 

Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 11:54 am
Posts: 1784
Location: New Franklin, OH
We used to have speeder events twice a year when we were based out of our old facility on the W&LE. Once we get our current track rehab project further along we should be able to resume speeders and do it more often. These events were nice little fundraisers for us.

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